Gorgeous Knitted Spiral Counterpane Blanket

Knit-Alongs
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Here is a finished picture in a blog I happened to stumble upon.

Once I saw that picture I HAD to make this. This blanket calls my name! And my social security number! I HAVE TO HAVE IT!

The pattern is found in the book “Knitting Counterpanes” by Mary Walker Phillips. ISBN 0-918804-98-1 It has pictures of each piece of this blanket on page 39, the pattern is on the preceeding pages. On page 2 there is a picture of a completed blanket.

I also have to mention the poem on the dedication page of this book. It is so sweet and has brought tears to my eyes.

The Land of Counterpane
by Robert Louis Stevenson

When I was sick and lay a-bed,
I had two pillows at my head,
And all my toys beside me lay,
To keep me happy all the day.

And sometimes for an hour or so
I watched my leaden soldiers go,
With different uniforms and drills,
Among the bed-clothes, through the hills;

And sometimes sent my ships in fleets
All up and down among the sheets;
Or brought my trees and houses out,
And planted cities all about.

I was the giant great and still
That sits upon the pillow-hill,
And sees before him, dale and plain,
The pleasant land of counterpane.

Isn’t that sweet? I hope someone marches leaden soldiers or Polly Pockets through these swirls and across my stitches someday.

I am not sure when I will start mine as I can’t decide what color, and I want to make sure I buy enough yarn. I would like to knit it up on size 8s with worsted weight. I’ll test it out and figure it out from there. I am planning on having my friend crochet the edge.

This is a long term project for me. I would love to share the experience with you all.

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that’s gorgeous! There’s a thread about it here

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I’m in on this spiral counterpane coverlet. We will be in San Antonio on Saturday so I will check the Yarn Barn for the needles and #3 thread. I am going to try size 1 double points but don’t know if I have the skills to use 5 double points at once. I thought about going to a larger size but I’m afraid that it might make the coverlet too heavy. Of course, I would want it big enough to cover a bed. What do you think? This will be a new experience for me. I expect to go slow on this as I’m working on the Spirit of the Southwest shawl now and plan on knitting several scarfs for Xmas presents too. Hildegard, that’s a different counterpoint piece. Why don’t you join us!!!

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MsShelton, While you are at the Yarn Barn go check out the Lang Silk Dream! My dh got me some for my birthday there. Funny story. I gotta put it in my blog later. Petting it is a dream and the experience of knitting it oh my, it is sooo nice. It’s a merino and silk and a little pricey.

I’m very curious to know what size each piece comes out to on these different size needles.

As far as using 5 needles, try it! It’s so much easier then it sounds. Each 1/4 will have its own needle and the fifth will be the working needle.

Eeeeee I’m getting excited!

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I just ordered double point needles from Knitpicks for this. :psst: Then I proceeded to order the Options set, and several skeins of laceweight, and fingering yarns, etc. for other projects. I love the Yarn Barn so I can play with all the pretties but I tend to purchase cheaper yarns on line. I will check out the Lang Silk dream tho and their crochet thread. I think I will drop by JoAnn’s today and see what they have in crochet thread. I might buy one skein if they have a #3 to see how it knits up. After research on the web, it appears that #3 is almost close to sports weight but #10 (smaller thread) seems to be most available. I think I will go with an antique rose color if I can find it. I’m excited tooooooo! I’ve tried double point needles for a pair of socks and it’s the only project that I put aside and never finished. I stopped knitting for a couple of months last year when I burned out and just never got back to them for some reason. Maybe because I lost one of the needles (but recently found under the rug) . Are you very experienced with knitting?

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I want in on this SO badly, but I just can’t right now. Not only can I not get the book for a while (dh is on leave for a month & all our “extra” money is going to our vacation expenses), but I have SO much Christmas knitting left to do and such a short time to do it in.

I hope to be able to join after a while, though. :cheering:

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knitaddict–I am learning about this and obtaining supplies but I will not be able to work on this much as I also have Xmas gifts pending. So just join us when you can as I’m sure that it will still be going on. By the way, I just asked questions at the Historical knitting group on Yahoo groups about yarn sizing and sources and I was given the site listed below for possible #3 perle or pearl yarns. It does appear to be sports weight. I just ordered their $2.00 sample card so I can actually see the colors. I think this will be cheaper than buying from local craft/yarn stores. I’m sure that they have other yarn/thread sizes too.

http://www.halcyonyarn.com/Yarn_pages/yarn082.html

Pixiewhispers–what yarn do you plan on using.

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I want the options so bad! You’ll have to give a full review.

I’ve been knitting for 4 years this October. I wouldn’t say I’m super experienced, but I have done a variety of things. I can knit booties, socks, hats, a few sweaters for babies, a little bit of lace. I love to just swatch and see if I can do something. I’ve swatched and done some dishrags with 5 needles. I can look at a piece of lace and write a pattern for it. :slight_smile: That knowledge comes from lots of mistakes on lace. :slight_smile: What I lack in experience I make up for in perseverence.

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Knitaddict, This is going to be a longterm project for me. :slight_smile: I’m not sure when I will be able to budget it in. :slight_smile: And then once I start it may take me a while. So I know I will be here. :slight_smile:

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I have no clue.! I am going to do one spiral on 8’s with some encore and see how that goes. I do not want to go smaller then 6’s. It’s going to take long enough for me. But once I do one up on 8s I will have a better idea where I’m going with this.

Tahki is the only cotton I like that I have worked with. But that would be a fortune! I havent used the one you sent a link of. Whatever I use it has to be washable (four kids 11-almost 1). My kids do respect my stuff (mostly) but if I made it out of something unforgiving and they did something to it I would have a hard time. I may go with Encore, or Caron Simply soft. I did a swatch for another project and have been washing it over and over again and it looks great.

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Oh my… I want…
curse you, err I mean Thank you! for posting this find. One more thing added to my To Do list

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I called my library today they are calling around and seeing if someone will send them a copy that was as soon as they opened… I still haven’t heard back from them :pout:

I showed it to dh last night and he agreed it was a very pretty afghan :cheering:

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Well, I wasn’t able to go to the Yarn Barn in San Antonio today as planned due to traffic delays. But that’s okay because I’m looking forward to my Knitpicks delivery and didn’t need any more temptations!!! I also checked at Joann’s yesterday, but they have a very limited inventory. They did say that they were opening a Super store next year. Don’t think I want to wait that long. I’m still researching what I need in order to do a more traditional counterpane. I did find out that #3 or 3/2 crochet cotton does not appear to be sports weight—unless it a very light sports weight. At the Yahoo Group, Historical Knitting, I was provided with a couple of other sources for crochet cotton in case anyone else is going this route. They are

http://www.rmyarns.com/COTTON%20COLORS.htm
http://yarn.com/webs/0/0/0/0-1001-1008-1326/0/7/1372/

Of course Webs certainly has been mentioned in this forum before for their yarns.

Dustin, let us know if they have the library book. I hope it is there for you!!

I might be buying another copy of Counterpanes that I found that is suppose to be in great shape, and if it works out, I will offer the ex-library book I just got from an Amazon partner, Hillsboro Library, for the same price as what I paid. I paid $15.00 plus also almost $10.00 for handling/mailing. That book is usable, all there, but in very bad shape. It needs to be put in a spiral. At least the funds went back to the library. Let me know and anyone is interested in this Phillip’s Counterpane book.

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:cheering: :cheering: the library just called they found one… I can pick it up today :happydance:

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woohoo! :happydance:

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Yay! I checked on my county library’s website and there’s a library that has it, but not where I can get it. Luckily, I can order it online and they’ll deliver it to my home library…so now I’m waiting to hear from the library that it’s in.

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Yeah! :cheering:

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Pixywhispers - thanks again. My Lib didn’t have it so I ordered it via interlibrary loan. Now it’s in my hot 'lil hands and I LOVE that pattern. The book also has a scallop and a leaf pattern I really like! This might have to be upgraded to a purchase (if I can track a copy down)! Great find - thank you so very much for letting us know! I already have Plan 1 and Plan 2 for this pattern… they’re at the end of the list but still, very excited to start these maybe by the holidays? So maybe I can catch up to some of you at that time.

I was thinking of using KP Shine (sport) has anyone figured out how much yarn was used for the original pattern (book sample: size 3 cotton, 9 spirals)? Or how much you are using for whatever size you’re making? I’ve made a Dr. Who scarf which felt like knitting an afghan but I’ve never actually knit something big like a blanket/afghan.

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:pout:

The library called today to say the book was in and that they were open until 5:30, but I went to the gym today and didn’t LEAVE the gym until 5:30. What a mean message! They’re open late tomorrow, though. I’m so excited! I might go look for yarn this weekend, I just found out about a new LYS (and it carries Malibrigo! It will be my first time…) so OBVIOUSLY I have to check it out.

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I havn’t brought my cotton yarn yet for the counterpane but I did buy a couple of 3/2 red cotton balls to try out. I will probably turn the red samples into table mats later. I will also knit a spiral in size 1 or 2 needles to see which of the three I like better.
I do have to go get some 8 inch DPNs as 6 inches is too short IMHO. The stitches kept falling off of the size 6 length. I plan on making a counterpane for a twin bed. If I use the size 3/2 cotton with size 3 DPNs then I figured I will need about 63 spiral medallions for a project this size. But I’m new at this so this is just my best estimate. Here’s a picture of the medallion that I have knitted in 3/2 cotton with size 3 DPNs being blocked. It’s about 9.5 inches now.
Edit–Can’t seem to get my picture to attach. Will try again